LOCATION HUSCHER KS

Established Series
JGA JLG
10/2013

HUSCHER SERIES

The Huscher series consists of deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium. These soils are on flood plains in river valleys in Central Kansas Sandstone Hills, in MLRA 74. Slope typically ranges from 0 to 3 percent. Mean annual temperature is about 13 degrees C (55 degrees F), and mean annual precipitation is about 750 mm (30 inches).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Fluventic Haplustolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Huscher loam on a 1 percent slope in a cultivated field. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.) As described on October 28, 2001

Ap--0 to 17 centimeters (0 to 7 inches); brown (10YR 4/3) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; 51 percent sand; 13 percent clay; weak fine granular structure; friable; common fine roots; moderately acid; noneffervescent; abrupt wavy boundary.

A--17 to 26 centimeters (7 to 10 inches); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; 32 percent sand; 19 percent clay; weak fine subangular blocky structure, and moderate medium granular structure; friable; common fine roots; moderately acid; noneffervescent; abrupt wavy boundary. (Combine thickness of the Ap and A horizons is 10 to 49 centimeters (4 to 29 inches)).

C--26 to 52 centimeters (10 to 20 inches); pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; 34 percent sand; 12 percent clay; structureless massive; very friable; common fine roots; 4 percent fine distinct irregular strong brown (7.5YR 4/6), moist, masses of oxidized iron; slightly acid; noneffervescent; abrupt wavy boundary. (10 to 70 centimeters thick (4 to 30 inches)).

Ab--52 to 64 centimeters (20 to 25 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; 24 percent sand; 17 percent clay; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; moderately alkaline; strong effervescence; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 25 centimeters(0 to 10 inches)).

C1--64 to 89 centimeters (25 to 35 inches); very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silt loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; 22 percent sand; 8 percent clay; structureless massive; very friable; 8 percent fine distinct irregular strong brown (7.5YR 4/6), moist, masses of oxidized iron; moderately alkaline; strong effervescence; clear smooth boundary.

C2--89 to 106 centimeters (35 to 42 inches); very pale brown (10YR 7/3) stratified silt loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; 39 percent sand; 5 percent clay; structureless massive; very friable; 3 percent fine distinct irregular strong brown (7.5YR 4/6), moist, masses of oxidized iron; moderately alkaline; noneffervescent; abrupt wavy boundary.

C3--106 to 128 centimeters (42 to 50 inches); light gray (10YR 7/1) stratified fine sand, light gray (10YR 7/2) moist; 86 percent sand; 2 percent clay; structureless single grain; friable; 8 percent fine distinct irregular strong brown (7.5YR 5/6), moist, masses of oxidized iron; strongly alkaline; slight effervescence; abrupt wavy boundary.

C4--128 to 142 centimeters (50 to 56 inches); pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; 27 percent sand; 6 percent clay; structureless massive; friable; 10 percent fine and medium distinct irregular strong brown (7.5YR 5/6), moist, masses of oxidized iron; moderately alkaline; slight effervescence; abrupt wavy boundary.

C5--142 to 156 centimeters (50 to 61 inches); very pale brown (10YR 7/3) stratified loamy fine sand, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; 84 percent sand; 3 percent clay; structureless single grain; loose; 10 percent medium and coarse distinct irregular strong brown (7.5YR 5/6), moist, masses of oxidized iron; strongly alkaline; slight effervescence; abrupt wavy boundary.

C6--156 to 200 centimeters (61 to 79 inches); light gray (10YR 7/1) stratified sand, light gray (10YR 7/2) exterior, moist; 88 percent sand; 2 percent clay; structureless single grain; loose; 15 percent medium and coarse distinct irregular strong brown (7.5YR 5/6), moist, masses of oxidized iron; strongly alkaline; noneffervescent.

TYPE LOCATION: Cloud County, Kansas; about 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) west and about 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) north of Rice; located about 425 meters (1395 feet) west and 320 meters (1050 feet) north of the southeast corner of sec. 30, T. 5S., R. 2W; Rice, Kansas USGS quadrangle; lat. 39 degrees 35 minutes 1.46 seconds N. and long. 97 degrees 34 minutes 45.14 seconds W., NAD83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture regime: An ustic moisture regime bordering on udic.
Soil temperature regime: mesic
Mean annual soil temperature: 11 to 14 degrees C (52 to 56 degrees F)
Thickness of mollic epipedon: 25 to 49 centimeters (10 to 19 inches)
Depth to free carbonates: 25 centimeters (10 inches) to greater than 200 centimeters (79 inches)
Particle size control section (weighted average) clay: 4 to 17 percent
Particle size control section (weighted average) sand: 20 to 60 percent (mainly very fine sands).
Some pedons may have a water table below 150 centimeters (60 inches).

Ap or A horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 3 to 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: silt loam, fine sandy loam, loam or silty clay loam
Clay content: 5 to 36 percent
Sand content: 10 to 70 percent
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral

Upper C horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 7 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: silt loam and very fine sandy loam
Clay content: 1 to 16 percent
Sand content: 10 to 75 percent
Reaction: slightly acid to moderately alkaline
Strata of slightly coarser or finer textured material are in the C horizons of most pedons.

Ab horizon (if present):
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 to 5 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: Silt loam, loam or very fine sandy loam
Clay content: 16 to 25 percent
Sand content: 20 to 60 percent
Reaction: slightly acid to moderately alkaline

Lower C horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 7 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: silt, loam, very fine sandy loam, loamy fine sand, fine sand, sand, or coarse sand.
Clay content: 1 to 16 percent
Sand content: 10 to 99 percent
Reaction: slightly acid to strongly alkaline
Strata of slightly coarser or finer textured material are in the C horizons of most pedons.
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent

COMPETING SERIES:
These are the McCook, Ralton, and Sherdahl (t) series.
McCook and Ralton soils have secondary carbonates occurring above 25 centimeters(10 inches) and Ralton soils occur in an aridic ustic moisture regime.
The Sherdahl (t) soils have a buried paleosol between the depths of 50-125 centimeters(20 to 49 inches).

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent Material: alluvium
Landform: flood plains
Slopes: 0 to 3 percent
Elevation: 350 to 550 meters (1150 to 1800 feet)
Mean annual air temperature: 11 to 14 degrees C (51 to 57 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation: 650 to 850 mm (25 to 33 inches)
Frost-free period: 160 to 210 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
These are Inavale, Grigston, Muir, and Sherdahl soils.
Inavale soils occur on flood plains and have a sandy particle size control class.
Grigston soils are on the flood plain and have a fine-silty particle size control class.
Muir soils occur on stream terraces and its riser. They have more than 18 percent clay in the particle size control section.
The Sherdahl soils also occur on stream terraces and its riser. They have a buried paleosol between the depths of 50-125 centimeters (20 to 49 inches).

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage: well
Runoff: very low or low
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity: moderately high
Flooding: occasional

USE AND VEGETATION:
Most areas are cultivated and much of it is irrigated. The main crops are corn, alfalfa, soybeans, and sorghums. The native vegetation are big bluestem, switchgrass, little bluestem, and western wheatgrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North central Kansas. (LRR H Great Plains Winter wheat and Range, MLRA 74 Central Kansas Sandstone Hills) The series is moderately extensive.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado

SERIES PROPOSED: Republic County, Kansas, 2011.

REMARKS:
The diagnostic horizons and characteristics recognized in this soil are:
Mollic epipedon: 0 to 26 centimeters (0 to 10 inches) (Ap and A horizons)
Irregular decrease of organic carbon: 52 centimeters (20 inches) Ab horizon

There has been discussion of whether these soils are well drained or moderately well drained, because redoximorphic concentrations can be found within 100 centimeters. These could be caused by irrigation or by the flooding occurring in the area. The majority of these areas are irrigated and treated like well drained soils instead of moderately well drained soils. It was decided to call them well drained because of that.

The series was set up to take the place of Cozad soils mapped on flood plains.

Keys to Soil Taxonomy: Eleventh edition, 2010

ADDITIONAL DATA:
Data for typical pedon is from the Kansas State University Laboratory, Manhattan, Kansas; pedon: 01KS029005. Addition laboratory data- National Soil Survey Lab, Lincoln, Nebraska; pedon: 09KS157001. Kansas State University Laboratory, Manhattan, Kansas; pedons: 09KS1571043 and 09KS1571048.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.